Adding a custom calculator to your WordPress site is one of the best ways to boost engagement and capture more leads.
But where do you start? Don’t worry, in this step-by-step guide I’ll show you exactly how to create a WordPress calculator with no coding required.
Why Add a Custom Calculator to Your WordPress Site?
Before diving into the how-to, let‘s explore why you should consider adding a calculator plugin to your WordPress site.
Increase Visitor Engagement
According to industry experts, including interaction points on websites and blogs can dramatically improve visitor engagement.
In fact, Orbit Media found that adding a calculator increased average time on page by over 96%.
By encouraging visitors to input information and receive custom results, you get them actively involved in your content. This deeper interaction means more time spent exploring your site.
Capture More Leads
Many WordPress calculators like shipping cost estimators and finance repayment calculators require an email address to see full results.
This allows you to offer value to site visitors in exchange for their contact information.
Shopify states that lead magnet calculators convert 6-12% higher than non-incentivized opt-in forms.
So adding a calculator can be a strategic way to grow your email list faster.
Boost Conversions
Certain types of calculators have been proven to directly increase sales and conversions.
For example, Orbit Media saw a 21% increase in conversions after adding a shipping fee calculator ahead of their checkout process.
Visitors had all costs presented upfront, reducing checkout abandonment rates.
Better Support Visitors
A well-designed calculator allows visitors to self-serve information rather than reaching out to your support channels.
For example, total cost calculators reduce questions about your pricing structure.
The right calculator can save you time while helping visitors get the precise data they need.
Now that we‘ve explored the benefits, let‘s look at how to add a custom calculator using WordPress and Formidable Forms.
Step 1: Install and Activate Formidable Forms
While there are various WordPress calculator plugins available, I recommend using Formidable Forms.
Formidable is the most robust WordPress form builder on the market with calculators being one of its core feature sets.
The premium version unlocks the most powerful calcultor functionality, but you can also test features using the free lite version.
Once installed, remember to activate your premium license key:
With the plugin activated, you‘re ready to create a custom calculator tailored to your business.
Step 2: Create a New Calculator Form
Login to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to:
Formidable » Forms » Add New
Here you‘ll see calculator templates for mortgages, pricing, appointments, automotive, and more.
I want to create an automotive payment calculator for my dealership site, so I‘ll select that template.
According to industry data, a car loan calculator can increase finance applications by 9-15%. So it‘s well suited for automotive sites.
After picking your template, give your form a name and click ‘Create‘:
We‘re now ready to customize this auto payment calculator.
Step 3: Customize Your Calculator
One of the great things about Formidable Forms is the user-friendly drag-and-drop interface.
You can easily:
- Tweak calculator fields
- Add custom fields
- Change labels
- Adjust calculations
I want visitors to input their name, email, loan amount, and term to get repayment costs.
So I‘ll add a name field, make the email address mandatory, and update the existing inputs.
According to WordPress experts, requiring an email address converts around 15% higher than optional opt-ins.
With our automobile loan calculator customized, it‘s time to add it to our site.
Step 4: Display Your Calculator
Head over to the page or post where you want to embed your auto loan calculator.
Click the addition icon in the WordPress editor to open available blocks. Search for ‘Formidable Forms‘:
Select your customized calculator from the dropdown.
I like to add some text before and after the calculator:
- Introducing what it is
- Explaining how to use it
- Next steps for visitors
Once inserted, update or publish the page and your calculator will be live.
Step 5: Review Calculation Data and Statistics
One of the best features of Formidable Forms is the in-depth data it provides on form usage and submissions.
Navigate to:
Formidable » Entries
Here you can view all calculator submissions and export them to CSV or Excel.
By toggling to the ‘Reports‘ tab, you can analyze performance metrics like:
- Conversion rates
- Abandonment rates
- Average values
- Field usage
Review this data weekly or monthly to determine if your calculator is performing well.
For example, a high abandonment rate may indicate the calculator fields need adjustment.
Use these insights to continuously improve your calculator and harvesting of lead data over time.
Final Words
I hope this guide has helped explain how to create a custom calculator in WordPress using Formidable Forms.
The five step process covers:
- Installing Formidable Forms
- Adding a calculator template
- Customizing your fields
- Embedding it on site pages
- Reviewing submissions and statistics
The benefits of adding a calculator include:
- Increased visitor engagement
- More lead captures
- Higher conversions
- Reduced support requests
Now it‘s your turn to start boosting results with a tailored WordPress calculator! Let me know if you have any other questions.
